Keeley launches new germanium fuzz/overdrive stompbox

Keeley has unveiled a new pedal, the Retro Super Germanium Phat Mod, that layers old-school fuzz tones over amp-like overdrive.

At its core, this pedal is based on Keeley’s germanium amplifier design. The company threw an additional gain stage in front of the preamp tone-stack to achieve the sound of a retro fuzz unit hooked up to a tube amp. But Keeley went one step further, opening up a secondary stage to increase dynamic response. The result is throaty gains with sustain for days.

Operating the pedal is fairly simple. There are three self-explanatory knobs: “Level,” “Tone” and “Nitro” (drive). Additionally, there’s a “Phat” toggle switch that gives your bass frequencies an added boost.

Listen to the pedal in action here:

The Keeley Retro Super Germanium Phat Mod lists for $179. More information at robertkeeley.com.